Jackal Among Snakes

A man pulled free a wooden hatch, tossing it to the side. He offered his hand to help up someone down below, but a big, gauntleted hand grabbed onto the wood. Galamon pulled himself up, then reached down and grabbed Argrave, hauling him second. Thirdly, Durran offered up Elenore, and he lifted her gently and set her aside. She winced when her prosthetic feet met the ground, and blood dripped down them slowly.

“Gods. Never seen the princess bloodied,” noted a woman standing by the door. She wore a wide-brimmed and plumed tellerbarret that partially hid long red hair, and cast a nice shadow over her pretty, scarred face. She bore lightweight chainmail, though much of it was concealed by ostentatious, puffy clothing. Argrave’s gaze lingered on her, vision dancing from his haze of blood loss.

“This is Melanie,” Elenore said, leaning against a wall. “She’s a native of Relize. She’ll be leading our caravan there, establishing contact with trustworthy people.”

“I know,” Argrave straightened, feeling like every part of him was sore. Melanie was yet another protagonist from ‘Heroes of Berendar,’ and he wasn’t eager to deal with this. “Clothes give it away.”

Galamon helped Durran and Anneliese up next, then knelt, peering down below. The elven vampire’s armor was bloodied and scratched, but any wounds he might’ve taken in his task of lighting the fires and fending back the royal knights had healed. The man who’d taken off the hatch put it back on, then wiped his hands away.

Argrave looked to be sure that Anneliese was watching, then questioned Melanie, “You’re working solely for Elenore?”

Melanie frowned, yet the scars near her eyes made her seem oddly amused nonetheless. “Don’t answer to you.”

“You do. Answer him,” Elenore said harshly, kicking off where she leaned against.

“No one else funding me, sweetie. The trust you’re showing is utterly flooring,” Melanie said in irritation.

Anneliese gave no indication the woman was lying. Argrave nodded and said, “Let’s be off.”

“Ought to have someone look at that bleeding,” Durran stopped Elenore.

The princess looked ready to refuse, but eventually she nodded. “Once we’re settled in the caravan.”

#####

The caravan they entered was quite a nice one. It was entirely enchanted wood, made for transporting large quantities of grain. The caravan they travelled with had many other carts, each and all identical to the one they resided. It would be a good veil for concealing their movements. Relize constantly had food transported to it—its population was too large to be sustained by local agriculture alone. They would raise no flags travelling this way. Melanie handled all operations outside.

beside Elenore and Anneliese, sandwiched between the two of them on a cushioned bench. He leaned with his back to the wall, utterly

did, a metal clamp around Elenore’s leg slowly loosened. It reminded Argrave of a manual vice. Her leg had been cut by

need to be so tight,” Durran

can shift—unimaginably painful if my leg shifts off balance, and I crash to the floor,” she said through clenched teeth. As Durran wordlessly tended to her feet, she laid

unimaginably thankful things had gone as well as they did, considering the circumstances. He had been very worried of parting with

me for appraisal…” Elenore said in a sigh. “It’ll take some time for me to get them, I’m afraid. I don’t think they’ll be lost. My men—they’re smart, they know

patting her shoulder and offering a smile. With that, he leaned

reigned for a

to keep an eye on what Levin is doing, at least for a few days,” Elenore cut back in. “I suspect he was the large cause of the commotion in the royal palace that caused our lucky break.

These clamps leave bruises, cut open your skin. And this material itself—it’s heavy. And by

at Durran’s lecturing, growing quiet

an opportunity. I can think of half a dozen ways to turn a huge profit based on what just occurred. I can turn

lifted his head up. “Just say

up, and she leaned forward onto Argrave. He was puzzled for a few seconds, but her back started to

is pain, yet she wouldn’t just sell me out. And now they’re with him, they’re both with HIM. I can’t. I can’t just… Why do I get to go, when they… they’re both better than

intently, offering whispered words of comfort where he thought they fit. She deserved this much, he thought. After a time, Elenore went quiet. Argrave briefly questioned if she was asleep, but her breathing

try to help them. Try to make sure I can save Therese, protect Vasquer… but it’s stupid. I can’t. We waste time, we

her. “So we stop for a few

the city is a surefire way to be found,” Elenore

the most pragmatic thing—more often than not, they’re not mutually exclusive. This person… Therese, the one that got captured. You care about her, right?” Argrave asked, holding

the palace. She’ll probably be executed now that her usefulness is at an end, or maybe disposed of quietly by Levin.” Elenore shook her head. “And Vasquer… I know Felipe

“So you learn that. You do what you can—all that you can. It might be that what you learn sticks with you… but I

Elenore leaned her

already?” Argrave leaned in. “I know a lot

freed her hand from his grip and crossed her arms defensively. She stayed quiet for a long while, and Argrave started to settle back

Elenore eventually whispered. “For getting emotional. I can’t do that. It’s not right. It doesn’t have its place. I’m meant to be a boon

wrong. It’s a fact of life. Durran cries himself to sleep every night, muttering about Orion,” Argrave kicked the tribal lightly across from him. The tribal looked at him with a resigned, bitter acceptance, not even bothering to